Hamilton Run Action Plan

Hamilton Run is one of the primary streams that flows through the City. The stream rises at the Rest Haven cemetery on Pennsylvania Avenue, and then flows east along Northern Avenue; it crosses under Eastern Boulevard near the Fiery Funeral Home, and then flows south by Pangborn Park, Funkhouser Park, and through the Greens at Hamilton Run golf course before reaching Antietam Creek. As with many urban waterways, the stream has been degraded; in many areas, the stream channel has been straightened and confined, and there many segments of the stream that are experiencing bank erosion. The image below shows the extent of the watershed that contributes runoff to the stream.

In order to develop a strategy for addressing the issues in the stream corridor, the City is in the process of developing an Action Plan for the watershed. This Plan, funded by grants from the Maryland Department of the Environment and the Chesapeake Bay Trust, examines and documents the existing physical and biological conditions along the length of the stream. The data collected during this exercise was then used to identify and rank sites along the stream for potential restoration projects; the Plan also includes conceptual designs for several of the highest ranked projects. Having a documented strategy for restoring the heath of the stream throughout the watershed increases the odds that the City will be successful in obtaining additional grant funds to actually design and construct these restoration projects.

The links below will take you to a draft version of the Action Plan, a presentation showing the methods and procedures used to identify and rank potential projects, and three conceptual plans for potential projects along the stream corridor. The City encourages residents to review the draft report, and to submit comments, questions, or other feedback that can be used to shape a final version of the Plan. Please submit your comments to the office of the City Engineer by May 15, 2017 via e-mail at jbender@hagerstownmd.org , or by calling (301) 739-8577 ext. 124.